20 Acquisition International - Non-Profit Organisation Awards 2022 May22302 Most Outstanding Youth Development & Education Support Organization - Maryland lev8 Baltimore creates liberating opportunities for youth and communities that have been oppressed by white supremacist structures and systems. It builds committed partnerships with other organisations to provide training and tools for youth to realise their potential, advocate for themselves, and bring equity to their communities. Originally a strategy focused on middle school students, Elev8 Baltimore has taken lessons learned and best practices to expand its school partnerships to include the entire continuum. Additionally, it has evolved to be a leader in anti-racism and liberation within the youth development sector. Its commitment to liberation is centred in creating opportunities for those most impacted by structural racism and historic red-lining to reclaim leadership. Its programmatic interventions include extended learning (afterschool, summer, tutoring, and college exposure), parent and community engagement (leadership development, advocacy, and capacity building), and adult education and supports (adult high school, workforce development, case management, and barrier removal). Each of these areas of work are integrated to provide a cadre of opportunities that are designed to transform communities under local, grassroots leadership. Elev8 Baltimore’s theory of change believes that when schools are safe, supportive environments for learning and collaboration, you will then begin to see safe, healthy and engaged communities. Indeed, the bottom line for Elev8 Baltimore is student success. When students are healthier, and involved in high-quality afterschool and summer programmes, they do better in school and in life. This benefits the students themselves, their families and their communities. Therefore, Elev8 Baltimore sees it as important the embody core values of service, quality, and hustle throughout the organisation, from the part-time out-of-school time (OST) team to executive leadership to ensure students receive the highest quality experience achievable. Elev8 Baltimore’s team is truly an asset, as without them, none of what the organisation does could be possible. No matter the role, its people serve at the pleasure of students and communities. And they are empowered to be leaders no matter their role, this value being modelled for students and parents, in addition to creating leadership opportunities at all levels for stakeholders. The organisation’s E Launched in 2009 as part of a national demonstration project, Elev8 Baltimore partners with schools, families, and the community to ensure that every student is prepared for high school, college, career, and life. commitment to the communities it serves means it brings the weight of the entire organisation when partnering with schools. The Elev8 Baltimore team is a highly dedicated one, and this enthusiasm and passion didn’t falter during the covid-19 pandemic either. The impact of the pandemic continues make the organisation’s work more challenging than usual, yet it has continued to support schools with acceleration during afterschool, maintain fidelity in implementing programming, and remain nimble to the evolving needs of students and communities. However, it did find unexpected benefits during these difficult times in the form of increased opportunities for partnership across schools and communities. Now having come out on the other side, Elev8 Baltimore is excited about its future. In the coming months and years, it expects to expand its signature summer literacy experience Elev8 Freedom Schools to include high school students; continue growth and expansion of the South Baltimore Adult High School; continue delivering high quality tutoring and mentoring; and expand its technical assistance to organisations and school districts. Company: Elev8 Baltimore Inc. Contact: Alexandria Warrick Adams Email: aadams@elev8baltimore.org Website: www.elev8baltimore.org
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